Signal horn



April 23, 1940.

C. C. FARMER SIGNAL HORN Filed om. 24, 1936 m@ WW WM @m m Vm VW @N RN WNQ N Shim; \Q m :4 T

O NwmvFmw (N ATTORNEY INVENTOR CLYDE C. FARMER Patented Apr. 23, 1940 SIGNAL HORN Clyde 0. Farmer, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to The Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 24, 1936, Serial No. 107,391

4 Claims.

This invention relates to signal devices and more particularly to the type adapted to be operated by fluid under pressure or the like.

On locomotives employed in railway service, the fluid pressure operated signal devices are usually mounted with the mouth or open end of the horn pointed towards the front end of the locomotive and this permits foreign matter to enter the horn which is liable to cause the device to fail to operate. This condition is particularly true in winter when sleet and snow are driven into the open end of the horn and either accumulates in the horn bell or reaches a vital portion such as the valve mechanism located at the base of the sound tube. Foreign matter such as insects may also enter and become lodged in the horn or valve mechanism located at the base thereof, and one object of the invention is to provide a signal device in which the above difiiculty is obviated.

With signal devices mounted as above described, the signal produced thereby is projected forwardly from the locomotive and it is therefore difficult for trainmen, such as a fiagman, at the rear end of a long train to hear such signal and another object of the invention is to provide a signal device so constructed as to facilitate the hearing of the signal at the rear ofthe train.

These objects are accomplished by providing a signal device which is swiveled upon a mounting base and which is arranged to normally point toward the rear of the locomotive so as to be protected from foreign matter and in which position it may be operated to signal trainmen at the rear of a train. When it is desired to project a signal forwardly from the locomotive, the signal device is first turned so as to point forwardly and it is then operated to produce the desired signal. When the signal is completed, 40 the signal device is then automatically returned to its normal position with the horn pointing toward the rear of the train.

Other objects and advantages will beapparent from the following more detailed description of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic, sectional view, the section being taken on two different planes, of my improved signal device associated with means for controlling the operation thereof; and Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on the lines 22 and 3-3 in Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawing, the improved signal device comprises a sound producing device I carried by and swivelly mounted on a base member or support 2 adapted to be secured to any suitable fixed portion 2A of a locomotive.

The sound producing-device I may be of any desired construction adapted to be operated by fluid pressure. As shown in the drawing, for the purpose of illustration, the device i may comprisea valve portion 3 and a horn 4 associated therewith and having an open end or mouth 5 through which sound generated in the valve portion 3 is projected into space. The lowermost portion 6 of the interior wall of the horn is slope-d downwardly towards the mouth 5 so as to provide drainage from the horn bell for any foreign matter which may perchance enter there- 1n.

' The base 2 is provided with an upwardly extending boss I having on its end a bearing face 8 disposed in a horizontal plane, while the sound producing device I is provided with a depending boss 9 having on its: end a bearing face adapted to engage the face 8 on boss I and turn thereon. A shroud l0 projects from the lower end of the boss 9 down over theboss l to keep foreign matter away from the bearing between the bosses .I and 9, and a lug l 1 projects horizontally from the exterior face of the shroud l0 and is adapted to,

engage two spaced resilient bumpers l2 and I3 secured to ears l4 and I5 projecting from the base 2. These bumpers are spaced to permit the. sound producingdevice l to turn through 180 degrees, that is, from the position shown in the drawing in which the horn l is pointing toward the rear of a, locomotive to a position in which said horn is pointing towards the front of a locomotive; the front and rear of the locomotive being indicated in the drawing by arrows and proper legends associated therewith.

A vertically disposed spindle I6 is mounted and adapted to turn in suitable bearings or guides provided in the base 2 at either side of a cavity l'l formed'in said base. One end of the spindle l6 extends centrally through the face 8 of boss I and into the depending boss 9 of the sound producing device I wherein said spindle is secured to said device in any suitable manner, such as by screw threaded engagement, whereby turning of the spindle'will turn the sound pr of the rack I9 extends into a chamber 24 and is reduced in cross-section to form a pin like projection 25 upon which there is mounted a spring seat in the form of a washer 26. A spring 27 in the chamber 24 has one end engaging the washer 26, while the other end engages a cover 28 secured to the base 2 over the open end of chamber 24.

A flexible diaphragm 29 is clamped around its periphery between a flange 3i! on the base 2 and a flange 3| provided on a cover 32 which is secured to the base 2, and said diaphragm is secured at its center to the left hand and of the rack l9 between a follower plate 33 at one side and a clamping plate 34 at the opposite side. The left hand end portion of the rack is of reduced cross-section to provide a shoulder which the follower plate 33 engages, and to provide a stud 35 which extends through suitable apertures provided centrally through the plates 33 and 34 and diaphragm 29. A nut 36 is provided on the end of the rack for pressing the plate 34 against one side of the diaphragm and the other side of said diaphragm against the follower plate 33.

A chamber 31 is formed at the right hand side of the diaphragm 29 and is in permanent communication with the atmosphere through a breather port 38, while a chamber 39 is formed at the left hand side of the diaphragm and is open to a pipe 40 which leads to a magnet valve device adapted at one time to supply fluid under pressure to chamber 39 and at another time to vent fluid under pressure from said chamber.

This magnet valve device comprises a magnet 4| and oppositely seating valves 42 and 43 controlled thereby, each of said valves having a fluted stem slidably mounted in suitable bores in the device in axial alignment with each other and engaging in a chamber 44 to which the pipe 43 is connected. The valve 42 is contained in a chamber 45 which is open to the atmosphere through a passage 88 and is adapted to control communication between said chamber and chamber 44. The valve 43 is contained in a chamber 46 which is connected to a pipe 41 leading to any suitable source of fluid under pressure such as may be provided in a reservoir 48 and is adapted to control communication from chamber 43 to chamber 44. A spring 49 in chamber 46 acts on the valve 43 for urging it to its seat, as shown in the drawing.

The mounting base 2 for the sound producing device I has a chamber 50 into which projects a portion 52 of a fluid pressure supply valve device 5|. The lower end of the spindle I6 projects through a suitable bore in the portion 52 and is provided with an annular collar 53 between which and the upper surface of said portion there is provided a ring washer 54 preferably disposed in an annular cavity in the collar 53. This washer is provided primarily for effecting a leak. proof seal between the collar 53 and portion 52 and for this purpose may be made of a resilient material such as rubber. However, if desired, this washer may be made of any suitable bearing material such as babbitt and act as the support for the spindle l5 and sound producing element instead of the boss I, it being evident that such bearing material would also act to provide a leak proof seal.

The lower end of the spindle l6 extends below the portion 52 of the valve device 5|, and secured to said end is a cap nut 55 between which and the lower face of portion 52 is disposed a ring sealing washer 56 preferably disposed in an annular cavity in the face of the nut.

A passage 5! is provided in the sound producing device I through which fluid under pres sure is adapted to be supplied to valve mechanism 3 of said device for operating same to produce a signal. This passage is connected to an axial bore 58 which extends through the spindle Hi, the lower end of the bore being closed by the cap nut 55.

A substantially semi-circular cavity 59 is provided in the extended portion 52 of the valve de- Vice 5| around and open at one side to the spindle i6, and a port 60 is provided through the wall of said spindle connecting said cavity to the bore 58 and this port is so located as to be disconnected from said cavity as the spindle is turned substantially from the position shown through 180 degrees to its other position, as will be later described.

The valve device 5| comprises a valve piston 6| having at one side a chamber 62 and at the opposite side a chamber 53 connected by a passage B4 to the fluid pressure supply pipe 41. A valve 65 is contained in the chamber 63 for controlling communication from said chamber to a passage 66 leading to cavity 59 and this valve is secured to the valve piston 6| so as to move therewith. A spring 67 is provided in chamber 62 and acts on the valve piston 6| for urging the valve 65 to its seated position.

The chamber 32 is connected to a pipe 68 which leads to a magnet valve device comprising a magnet 69 and a double beat valve 10 controlled thereby. The valve H1 is contained in a chamber H to which the pipe 68 is connected and is adapted to control communication between said chamber and a chamber 72 which is connected to the fluid pressure supply pipe 41 and another chamber 13. which is open to the atmosphere through a passage 14. A spring 15 is provided in chamber 12 for urging the valve 10 to the position shown in the drawing.

A manually controlled switch device adapted to be operated by the engineer on the locomotive is provided for controlling the operation of the magnets 4| and 69. This switch device comprises a flexible contactor TI and three flexible contact fingers I8, 19 and Bi) secured in spaced relation in a block 16 for any suitable insulating material. The contactor i1 is provided with an operating handle 85 preferably made of insulating material and is connected to a wire 8| which leads to one terminal of any suitable source of electrical energy such as provided by a battery 82, the other terminal of which is grounded. The fingers 18 and 8|] are both connected to a wire 83 leading to one terminal of magnet 59 the other terminal of which is connected to ground, while the finger i9 is connected to a wire 84 leading to one terminal of magnet 4| the other terminal of which is grounded.

The switch device is shown with the contactor 11 and fingers 18 to 80 in their normal positions, in which the circuits to magnets 4| and 69 are open and said magnets therefore deenergized.

With magnet 4| deenergized, spring 49 acts to seat valve 43 and unseat valve 42 which vents the diaphragm chamber 39 to the atmosphere through pipe 40, chambers 44 and 45 and atmospheric passage 88. This permits spring 21 acting on the right hand end of the gear rack 19 to hold said rack and thereby the gear 2|,

normal position as defined by the engagement of stop H on the shroud ID with the rubber bumper 2. In this position the open end 5 of the horn 4 is pointed toward the rear of the 10- comotive.

Fluid under pressure is supplied to the reservoir 48 in any suitable manner. From reservoir 48 fluid under pressure is supplied through pipe 41 to chamber 46 in magnet 4|, chamber 12 in magnet 69 and. to chamber 63 in the valve device 5|. With the magnet 69 deenergized, the spring holds the double beat valve 10 in the position shown in the drawing in which fluid under pressure flows from chamber 12 to chamber 1| and thence through pipe 68 to chamber 62 in the valve device 5|. The fluid pressures in chambers 62 and 63 at the opposite sides of the valve piston 6| thus are equalized which per-' mits spring 61 to urge the valve piston 6| to the position shown in the drawing and thereby urge the valve 65 into engagement with its seat.

If the engineer on the locomotive at the head end of a train desires to sound a warning at a grade crossing or the like, where it is desired that the signal shall be directed toward the forward end of the train, he operates the switch handle to flex the contactor 1'! towards the left hand engaging first the finger 19 and then further movement flexes finger 19 into engagement with finger 19. Electric current supplied from battery 82 to contactor 1'! is thereby supplied to fingers 19 and I8 andv thence through wires 84 and 83 to magnets 4| and 69 respectively, whereupon said magnets become energized.

Energization of magnet 4| seats valve 42 and unseats valve 43 which permits fluid under pressure to flow from the fluid pressure supply pipe 41 and chamber 46 to chamber 44 and thence throughpipe 49 to diaphragm chamber 39. The pressure of fluid thus obtained on the diaphragm 29 flexes same and moves the rack l9 towards the right hand compressing spring 21. This movement of the rack |9 turns the gear 2| and thereby the spindle l6 and sound producing device secured thereto in a direction indicated by the arrow on Fig. 3 from the position shown in the drawing through an arc of degrees to a diametrically opposite position defined by engagement of the stop H with the resilient bumper IS. The horn 4 is now positioned to project sound forwardly from the locomotive.

The energization of magnet 69 acts to seat the double beat valve 16 in its lowermost position closing communication from chamber 12 to chamber H and opening communication from chamber H to chamber 13 whereupon fluid under pressure in chamber 62 at the spring side of valve piston 6| is vented to the atmosphere through chambers H and 13 and atmospheric passage 14.

This venting of fluid under pressure from chamber 62 permits the pressure of fluid in chamber 63 to move the valve piston 6| towards the right hand and thereby unseat the valve 65,

which permits fluid under pressure to flow from the supply pipe 41 and connected chamber 63 to passage 66 and thence to the semicircular cavity 59. With the sound producing device I and spindle l6 turned 180 degrees from the position shown in the drawing, the port 60 in said spindle is open to cavity 59 at the left hand end thereof, as viewed in Fig. 3 of the drawing, so that fluid under pressure supplied to said cavity flows through said port to bore 58 in thespindle l6 and thence through passage 51 in the sound producing device I to the valve mechanism '3 thereof, for effecting its operation to produce a signal which is projected through the horn 4 to space forward of the locomotive.

After the desired signal has been eflected, the contactor 11 is permitted to ,move back to-its normal position in which the contact fingers l8 and 19 are disconnected therefrom thereby opening the circuits through magnets 4| and 69 which consequently become deenergized.

The deenergization of magnet 69 permits spring j 15 to seat the double beat valve 10 in its upper position so that the-fluid pressures again equalize in chambers 62 and 63 at the opposite sides of valve piston 6| whereupon spring 61 shifts said valve piston to the position for seating valve 65 which cuts off the supply of fluid under pressure to the sound producing device so that said device ceases to operate.

The deenergization of magnet 4| permits spring 49 to seat valve 43 and unseat valve 42 which vents fluid under pressure from the diaphragm chamber 39 to the atmosphere. The pressure of spring 21 then moves the rack |9 and'thereby operates the gear 2| to return the spindle l6 and sound producing element to its normal position, as shown in the drawing, in which the horn 4 points toward the rear of the train.

If when the sound producing device I is pointed toward the front of the train it is desired to project a series of blasts forwardly from the locomotive, the contactor is operated as above described to effect the initial blast. It is then released only sufficiently to permit the contact finger 19 to flex away from the contact finger 18, thereby causing deenergization of magnet 69 but retaining the magnet 4| energized.

By holding the magnet 4| energized the sound producing device I is maintained in the position pointing forwardly from the locomotive, while the deenergization of magnet 69 permits spring 61 to operatethe valve piston 6! to seat the valve 65 and thus cause operation of the sound producing device to cease. Then when it is desired to project another blast or signal from the sound producing device I, the contactor is again operated to flex finger 19 into engagement with finger 18. The magnet 69 is thereby again energized and acts to supply fluid under pressure to the sound producing device I for operating same. By thus operating the switch device to holdthe magnet 4| energized and to alternately energize and deenergize'the-magnet 69, any desired series of signal blasts may be projected from the sound producing device forwardly from the locomotive. After the desired signal has been effected, then the contactor TI is permitted to flex back to its original position, as shown. in the drawing, in which both magnets 69 and 4| are deenergized. The sound producing device I then ceases to operate and is returned to its normal position, as above described.

As the sound producing device I is turned from its normal position to the position for projecting a signal forwardly from the locomotive, it will be noted that the port 66 in spindle |6 is lapped by] gization of magnet 59 from flowing to bore 58 in the spindle l6 and thence to the sound producing device and operating same before said device becomes substantially positioned to project the signal forwardly from the locomotive as desired. In other words, it would be substantially useless and undesirable to have the sound producing device operating while being turned to the position for projecting the signal forwardly from the locomotive, and this is prevented by lapping the port 60, as above described.

When it is desired to project a signal rearwardly from the locomotive to a flagman or the like at the rear of a train, the contactor I1 is flexed toward the right hand into engagement with contact finger 80, thereby energizing the magnet 69. The magnet 4! remains deenergized upon this operation of the contactor H, as will be evident, so that the sound producing device I remains in the position pointing toward the rear of the locomotive. The energization of magnet 69, however, causes the valve piston BI to unseat the valve 65 and supply fluid under pressure to cavity 59 as hereinbei'ore described, and thence through port 60, which is open to said cavity at the right hand end thereof, as viewed in Fig. 3 of the drawing, to bore 58 leading to the sound producing device I for effecting operation thereof to project a signal toward the rear of the train. By moving the contactor into and out of engagement with contact finger 8|), thevalve piston 6| may be caused to alternately open and close the valve 65 and thereby operate the sound producing device I to effect whatever signal is desired, as will be evident.

It will now be evident, that since the sound producing device I is normally carried with the open end of the horn 4 pointing toward the rear of the locomotive, the horn is protected against entry of foreign matter which would be liable to cause failure thereof, and since the horn is rotatable upon its base from a position pointing toward the rear of the locomotive to a position pointing toward the front of the locomotive, signals may be projected in either direction.

While one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit its scope to that embodiment or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a base member, a spindle rotatably mounted in said base member, a fluid pressure operated sound producing device secured to said spindle and rotatable therewith, means for rotating said spindle and thereby said device from one position to another position, said spindle having an axial passage through which fluid under pressure is adapted to be supplied to said device for efiecting operation thereof to produce sound and also having a radial port open at one end to said passage, said base member having a fluid pressure supply passage open to the other end of said port in said positions for thereby supplying fluid under pressure to said axial passage, rotation of said spindle relative to said base member between said positions being adapted to close communication between said means for preventing operation of said device toproduce sound while said device is turning between said positions.

3. In combination, a sound producing device rotatable to either one or the other of two fixed positions, mechanism for turning said device to said positions, means for effecting operation of said device to produce sound, a member movable in either one or another direction, and mechanism operative upon movement of said member in the one direction to efiect operation of said means and in. the other direction toefiect operation first of said turning mechanism and then of the means.

4.. In a signal horn device, in combination, a base member, a spindle rotatably mounted in said base member, a sound producing device carried by said spindle and operable by fluid under pressure to produce sound, said spindle being provided with a passageway through which fluid under pressure is supplied to said sound producing device, means for effecting the rotation of said spindle, and means for controlling communication through said passageway and operative in two positions of said spindle to open said communication and adapted to close said communication in the rotation of said spindle between said positions.

CLYDE C. FARMER. 

